Gripping mechanism for printing presses



Oct. 13, 1925.

GRIPPING MECHANISM FOR PRINTING PRESSES Filed Aug. 30 1924 l 1 I 1 I I: 1 I l l I i I 1 .J I L I i 1]]! g I 1 23 5 lU iTTL-iJ-iE- I I, 22 /24 0/1 Z Patented Oct. 13, 1925.

UNITED STATES.

PATENT OFFICE.

s mmnsrmn, an, or mamson, AnnrEn'c-Y a srnonn, or NEWARK, new ERSEY;

' ASSIGNORS T0 KEYMAX FEEDER GOMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

enrr rmo' MECHANISM m PRINTING ranssns.

Application filed August 30, 1924. Serial navs'aosa To all whom it may concern: y

Be it known that we, ,8 HAINES PLUM, 2d,: residing at Madison, Monroe County, New J ersey, and PERCY L. Srsonn, residing at Newark, Essex Oounty,New Jersey, both citizensof the United States, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Grip ing Mechanisms forPrinting Presses, of w ich the following is a specification.-

.This invention relates to improvements in gripping mechanisms for printing presses of the character disclosed in the U. S. Patent No. 1394103, dated October 18, 1921, The object of the invention is to improve generallyisaid gripping mechanisms with a view of obtaining greater efficiency and safety of operation.

The invention w ll be more fully understood from the following specification read in connection with the accompanying drawing in which 7 Fig.1 is a view-of aportion of a printing press equipped with the gripping mechanism aforesaid, and embodying the inven tion with parts in section and parts broken away.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the gripping mechanism with parts in section and parts removed.

Only so much of the gripping mechanism is shown as is necessary for a complete understanding of this invention. For further detailed disclosure reference is hereby made to the patent aforesaid' For the purpose of ready reference thereto the parts in thedrawing hereto attached which correspond .to. like parts in the said patent are numbered withv like numbers.

As set forth in the said patent, the grip ping mechanism illustrated therein is part of an automatic. feeding mechanism attached -to a Chandler & Price job press. In the present case,.the press is identified by the frameIII in which the platen 6 is pivoted at 5. On the frame of the press there are secured twobrackets only one of which is shown andnumberedlS. To the latter is pivoted at 21, a paper feed table24 which supports the paper feeding and gripping mechanisms generally. The gripping mechanism herein referred to is, a mechanism for delive ing t esh t by removing t rom t platen. The table is adapted to be raised and 'loweredonthe pivot 21'by means of levers "28 and 29. Thereafterthe entire table with themechanisms'thereon may be swung to one side to permit the press to be hand fed in for other reasons. P I

' The gripping mechanism 'comprise's in general a gripper'carria'ge 112 which slides on two rods 110 and 111 secured to the table 24. The gripper carriage is guidedby a suitable guiding "bearing 115. \On the gripper carriage is mounted a delivery gripper 130 suitably operated bymeans not shown to seize the printed sheet and remove it from the platen.

The gripper carriage and gripper is reciprocated by a link 124 pivoted to a hearing 119. The bearing 119Islides on a rod 120 in the bracket 18. The link 124 is 0p- 'erated from any suitable part of the press.

Suitablelatching means 117 on the gripper carriage is adapted to engage thebearing'119 and automatically connect the gripper carriage to the link 124, and to be automatical- 1y disconnected therefrom.

As stated in the said patent, when the table 24 'is to' be raised and swung to one side, it is'necessary to move the gripper 130 in under thetableto prevent breakage and permit free access to the press parts adjacent thereto." In other words, when the table '24 is raised, the operator must first withdraw the gripper from the platen for thesake of safety of operation. I-Ieretofore this has been'accomplished by connecting the gripper carriage to' the lever 28 by a cable or band so that when'the said lever j was moved to raise the ta'ble'24, the gripper would be automatically withdrawn. But

serious objections have been found to exist against this manner of" withdrawing the gripper and that the said connection might break or otherwise become inoperative.

' It is therefore, the object of this invention to provide improved means for Withdrawing the gripper preparator'yto the raising of the paper feed 'table. In connection herewith means are provided for positively unlocking the paper feed'table from the bracket on which it'rests and to which'it is normally" locked. And the said means are further arranged to automatically lock the table to the bracket when the table is lowered. To this end there is mounted on the feed table 2 1 a sliding. bolt 10 which is supported in afixed bearings 11 secured to the table 24. The other end of the bolt passesthrough a hole 12 in the table casing,

see Fig. 1. The a tiretense i-sadapted to Said enter a" recess"13" in the bracketl i recess has an overhanging lip 19provided with a bevel 20.

The bolt 10 is urged into saidrec ess by a spring 211 acting against a collar '22 secured to the bolt. On the latter isalso' slideabl-y mounted a'catch 23 which projects into the path ot the aioresaidgripper carriage bearingy1'15'. The catch has a handle .25. v

During-the normal operation of the gripper, the carriage 112 is reciprocated by the link-124 in synchronism with the movements or the' preSS and the gripper seizes and deliversthe printed" sheet as usual. During-this operation it will be noted that the catch 23wi-l'l have been' movedto the extreme right in thedr'awi-ng by the movement to therightof the gripper carriage. Also it will-"benoted, that during this normal operation the feed table-24 is locked to'th'e bracket 18by the sliding-bolt 10. 7

V ivhen'for some reason" it is desired to raise the feed table-24 andswing it to one side, it isobvious' that the "gripper carriage and gripper mustfirst'bemovedto the extreme left position" in the-drawing to withdraw the? gripper under the table; for the reasons aforesaid. Toaccomplish this operation the operatorfirst manipulates levers- 28 and 29 to slightly raise the-table 24- 'and' thereby automatically disengagefithe bearing 119 :tiom the gripper" carriage 112. During this movement the rod- :10 moves in the arena-nae spring 21*then moves'thebolt 10 intornormal position where it protrudes from the tablet casing.

When'the'table. is again to be lowered, the

operatormanipulates-the levers 28 and 29 in the reversed direction and lowers the table. WVh'en the protruding bolt 10 comes in conta'cfl witlrthe-upstanding part ,of bracket 18,Vit 'istforce'df back against the spring 211 by striking the bevel 20 and as ready for the next raising operation.

' ing mechanism 1 1 7 whiclrwill automatically connect the bearing with the gripper carl-iage and gripper; As the gripper car- I riage begins its movements it will engage the cat ch'2 3and again move it to the right It wi-ll therefore' be seen that this invention provides automatic locking means: for the paper feed table and means for insuring the with'drawalbf the gripper in under the table before'the latter canbe completely un lo'cked. Also that as a matter of safety, the operator must use his two'hands to ac'com plish thel'result, thus focussinghis attention on the work.

The automatic disengagement and reen gagement of the gripper carriage" With tlie bearing-119 is fully disclosed inthepatent vneferred to above;

The means herein disclosed are simple in construction and certain in operation. The advantages with respect to safety and surety of operation are very important preventing breaking of parts and loss of time.

We claim 1. In a printing'press, a platen, a bracket secured to the press and having a recess, a

paper feed table pivoted on'said' bracket, a.

gripping mechanism movably mounted on said table, a bolt adapted to engage said' recess to lock the table and the gripping mechanism tothe bracket in normal operative relation to the platen, means for moving said gripping mechanism away from the platen and for releasing the said bolt from the said recess and other means for raising said gripping mechanism and feed table away from the said platen.

2. In a printing press, a platen, a bracket on said press having a recess, a paper feed table pivotedon said bracket, a gripping mechanism movably mounted on said table, a bolt, a spring for forcing said bolt into the said recess to lock the'table and gripping mechanism in normal operative relation to,

the platen, aecatch slidably supported on said bolt, a handle for? operating the'said catch to move the gripping mechanism in under said i feedtable andrelease the said boltfrom the said recess, other means for raising the gripping mechanism and feed table away, from the platen,-the said bolt beingladapted is enter saidrecess to automatically lock the table and gripping mechanism to the bracket after the same has been moved'back into normal operative relation a the platen. 'I'

8 The" combination with a press, -ofi a gripping niechaiiism of the character (1.8

scribed comprising supporting means, means for operating the gripping mechanism thereon, a spring actuated bolt for automatically locking the said supporting means 5 and gripping mechanism to the press While said mechanism is being operated and a device for moving the gripping mechanism into a predetermined inoperative position on the sand supporting means and for moving said bolt against the force of its said 10- spring from locking engagement With the said press.

S HAINES PLUM, 21). PERCY L. SIBOLE. 

